All American 2

XI

XI

Back in New York Kofi was busy preparing himself to head to Wisconsin. With the month now in June he was due to report back to the facility for training, and he was looking forward to it. After the horrible conversation between him and Danielle he needed something to distract his mind and he knew training would do the trick. There was a new batch of players that had been selected to join the team and he prayed they'd be able to assimilate without any issues. When new players were introduced there was no telling how things would go. Most were fresh out of college, enthusiastic to prove themselves, but there was always one in the bunch who was determined to stand out. Over the course of his career, Kofi saw many players come and go. The ones who were good enough stayed, but the troublemakers were quickly shown the exit. Frank had his hands full with Kofi, ensuring he was doing what he needed to do for the team, and he had no patience to entertain another 'diva', so the team was always extra carful when it came time for selections. The personality of the men varied greatly; whereas Bentley and Sam were more mild mannered and easy going, they had teammates like Kofi and Percy who were constantly running circles around them forcing the front office to hire extra hands to shadow them while on the road.

Kofi had been doing this so long that it became a routine he looked forward to. As he walked around his bedroom he filled his bag up with items he'd need being mindful to leave his CBD pen and marijuana so as to not cause any issues when it came time to check their bags for the flight. Anthony had arrived not too long ago, and he was doing a great job at distracting his clouded mind. As Ulysyss assisted him with packing his belongings the two chatted, mostly about what Anthony had going on. Like his cousin, he was currently experiencing woman troubles and he was taking the time to vent his frustrations. He had decided on the rematch between him and Washington and Rainbow wasn't receptive to the idea. "I've been doing this long before I even met her! I don't understand what the big deal is! It's not like I'm going off to war or something, I'm just going to go a few rounds and that's all!" He exclaimed. "She doesn't complain when I'm spending the money on her and taking her on vacations and stuff, but it's a problem when I have to go out and earn it. You know the other day she said I'm selfish?" He questioned, his brows furrowing. "I buy her whatever she wants, and most times she doesn't even need to ask for anything. All I want is for her to keep the house clean, but she can't even do that. She puts up a fight with me every time I suggest her picking up a broom, and I'm really getting tired of it. But I'm the selfish one." He said shaking his head. Kofi chuckled, placing the blunt between his lips he deeply inhaled, his head shaking at the discord between his cousin and girlfriend.

In his life, Kofi had been called selfish so many times he'd lost count. The women around him were constantly nagging him to see the bigger picture and attempt to be more considerate of the family but Kofi didn't see it that way. He did his part, he pulled his weight, and when one of his family members fell on hard times he was always there to bail them out of whatever issue they had. He didn't see any issue with being selfish. His need to remain strict with his family was a means of him protecting himself. Memories of his father giving his all only to the family for them to be left homeless without a helping hand in sight had solidified his need to be less forthcoming with his time and energy. Others took him as being selfish, but he took it as a way to survive. "You knew she was a lil' dirtball when you met her ass. I don't know why you acting so surprised now." Kofi said jokingly. Anthony's eyes narrowed, his finger pointing directly at him. "Watch your mouth. That's my girlfriend you're talking about." Kofi chuckled, his hands raising in a false surrender. "You got that." Rainbow and Anthony were an interesting couple. Anthony was clean cut, his squeaky-clean poster boy image was one many celebrities strived for. Rainbow on the other hand, was a rule breaker. She didn't shy away from controversary and handled every issue head on with as much vigor as Anthony when he was in the ring. The couple were complete opposites, yin and yang but Kofi couldn't deny they complimented each other perfectly.